Donald Trump Announces He Will Run for President, Joins Crowded GOP Field

Reality television star and real estate mogul Donald Trump officially announced his run for the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday morning in Manhattan. In the past Trump had frequently flirted with running, but this will be his first formal dip into campaign waters.

“I am officially running for president of the United States,” Trump said at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. “We are going to make our country great again.” His speech covered a wide array of issues, from currency manipulation to jobs to foreign affairs, but he repeatedly came back to his own success as in business as the cornerstone of his campaign. He said he would be "the most successful person ever to run for the presidency, by far."

Trump has spent the past few months traveling to early-primary states like New Hampshire and South Carolina, signaling his desire to run, but many still doubted he actually would. He had appeared to be on the verge of running in 2011, 2004 and even back in 1987, but never followed through.

Trump will join an already-crowded field of GOP candidates. Eleven others have announced their intent to run, with several more expected. It will be the widest campaign field in memory, and Trump hopes that his celebrity and name recognition will help him stand apart.